While industry titan Microsoft's swan song at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has grabbed headlines, the annual convention will be a major showcase for convergence and connected TVs.
Indeed, given the spreading use of tablets and the increasing ease of cutting the cord, convergence is finally upon consumers and advertisers, said Ashley Swartz, SVP/Leader iTV Practice at Digitas, during a recent interview with Beet.TV.
She cut the cord herself in June and now relies on an HDMI connection with a Roku, Boxee, XBox, Logitech Google TV and an Apple TV to pipe programming into the home, as well as a tablet and laptop.
But rather than adding to confusion, that device proliferation can help spread convergence in earnest in 2012, she predicted. "The experience of creating the living room you want has gotten easier and device proliferation is less of a challenge," she said. "The idea of an entirely connected household where brands can find an opportunity to contextually present themselves is changing and technology is driving that."
SNL Kagan has said that 10% of consumers will have cut the cord by 2015, up from 4% at the end of 2011. Connected devices will be a key focus at CES.
This segment was taped at a two-hour session at the Manhattan offices of Livestream.
Daisy Whitney
